Director of Capacity Building Division a. i. and head of Research and Innovation, Frontex
Javier Quesada is the Director of Capacity Building Division ad interim and head of Research and Innovation in the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex. In support of EU Member States and developing the Agency’s own capabilities, the main goal of research and innovation is to foster and implement technology foresight and research for border management and border security through its recently created Border Security Observatory. Also, Quesada leads on European innovation insertion for borders, with the performance of pilot projects, trials and competitions where innovative solutions related to surveillance, border checks, identification and intelligence analysis, amidst others, are tested in a real operational environment. In Frontex organized conferences, meetings, and research events dialogues with industry, academia and the community of border and security users happens on a frequent basis. Research and innovation is also actively involved in establishing European technical standards applicable, for instance, to the acquisition of border control equipment, owned and used by the Member States or by the Agency.
Prior to that, also at Frontex he was responsible for risk analysis within the operations division. Before joining Frontex in 2006, he developed his career as a strategic analyst in the Spanish National Police, being frequently engaged at expert level in EU Council working groups and committees, and other international fora. In the period 2000-2004 he performed as EU Pre-Accession Advisor, supporting the administrative reforms of the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior in the process of EU accession. In 2005-06 he was technical advisor on migration and borders within the Cabinet of the Spanish Minister of Interior.
He studied Law in Madrid, and Criminal Science in Salamanca.
